


The One Thing You Want

by ShowMeAHero



Category: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Flirting, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Library, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 12:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3068060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShowMeAHero/pseuds/ShowMeAHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Achilles only has ten minutes at the library before practice, but he has a goal in mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Thing You Want

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sarah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarah/gifts).



> Written for Sarah, who knows as well as I do how easy it is to give the sun a boner.

“What do you even need out of here, Achilles?” Agamemnon asked, looking at a shelf of audiobooks as though personally offended by it. Odysseus busied himself with the shelves of DVDs in the corner. “We have practice soon, don’t forget.”

“I haven’t forgotten, man, Jesus,” Achilles grumbled, deliberately not making eye contact with Agamemnon as he made a quick visual sweep of the parts of the library he could see from his current vantage point. “Just give me ten minutes, will you?”

“Fine,” Agamemnon conceded, motorcycle helmet tucked under his arm. Odysseus was sitting cross-legged on the floor now, comparing the summaries on the backs of _The Princess Bride_ and _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_. Achilles left them to it, weaving through the aisles and aisles of tall bookshelves, so tall even Ajax probably could not have seen over them. He scanned the titles on the shelves every now and then, but the books were mostly ignored as he searched for the person who he knew came here every day after class let out.

He finally found him, tucked into a beanbag chair in the very corner of the third floor. Patroclus. He was a senior, too, just like Achilles, but they were in none of the same circles, shared none of the same friends. They had classes together, and Achilles remembered when Patroclus’ mom died. He was ridiculously handsome, and he was always reading something, and he stared at Achilles sometimes when he thought Achilles wasn’t looking, which Achilles personally loved about him. Patroclus, he knew, had never had a lot of friends, not since he beat up Clysonymus in the fifth grade. Privately, Achilles thought Clysonymus deserved it, and he respected Patroclus. But the whole thing had had a negative effect on Patroclus’ social life.

That was the thing. Patroclus really didn’t have a lot of friends, besides Briseis, who seemed to be the only person he ever talked to, and who was the one to tell Achilles, with absolutely no context, that Patroclus went to the library every day after school. Achilles was grateful regardless. Patroclus looked so handsome there, Achilles thought to himself, leaning against the end of the bookshelf on his left. He watched as Patroclus continued to read, seemingly not aware of Achilles’ existence, never mind of his presence there in the library, right in front of him.

Patroclus was incredible when he was focused; all of that energy, concentrated on one activity. It was beautiful. Achilles watched as Patroclus shoved a hand through his dark, thick hair and continued to read. Though he could have watched Patroclus read for hours, he had told Agamemnon ten minutes, and he had a goal in being here. He cleared his throat, and Patroclus jerked like he had been electrocuted. He looked up at Achilles and squinted at him.

“...Hello,” Patroclus said after a moment. His voice was rich. Achilles took a moment to let it hang in the air before he answered.

“Hi.” He hesitated. Patroclus bookmarked his page and shut his book. “Patroclus, right?”

“Right.” Patroclus’ brow furrowed. “How do you know my name?”

“We have a couple of classes together,” Achilles answered faux-flippantly, which was technically the truth. It just wasn’t the _whole_ truth, which was, “We have exactly three classes together, and I stare at you in every single one of them, and I think I might be in love with you.” He thought that much truth might freak Patroclus out a little bit. “I’m Achilles.”

“I know who you are,” Patroclus assured him. He set his book aside and made to get up out of the beanbag chair. Achilles came forward in a flash, offering him his hand. Patroclus took it, though he had a skeptical tint to his expression. When they were both standing, Patroclus cleared his throat nervously. “Is there something I can do for you, Achilles?”

Achilles stared at him for a moment. “Uhm. Yes.”

Patroclus looked surprised. He wore all of his emotions so plainly on his face. Achilles adored him. “What would that be? We don’t even know each other.”

“I feel like I know you,” Achilles admitted, and Patroclus’ eyes widened a little bit. Achilles barreled on. “I want to really get to know you. If you want."

“You want to be my… friend?” Patroclus asked hesitantly. Achilles shook his head immediately, and Patroclus’ whole face fell.

“No, that’s not what I mean,” Achilles rushed to correct. “I mean, I don’t want to be your friend, I want to be more than your friend.”

Patroclus blinked at him with his wide, dark eyes. “Uhm. More than friends?”

“I like you a lot,” Achilles said, trying to go for smooth and casual. Patroclus stared at him in open shock. “I’d like to get to know you as more than friends.”

“What, now?” Patroclus blurted, and Achilles smiled.

“No,” Achilles answered, feeling a pang of regret. He wished he could right now, but Agamemnon wasn’t lying when he said they had practice fairly soon. “I have practice. Later, though. Soon.”

“My dad doesn’t really care when I come home at night,” Patroclus told him, looking like he was trying not to explode. Achilles felt how he looked. “We could do something after your practice.”

“That sounds great,” Achilles answered a little too quickly. He could hear footsteps behind him, but he ignored whoever it was. “You should come to practice with me.”

Patroclus eyed the motorcycle helmet Achilles had abandoned on the floor. “I don’t know about that.”

“You can have the helmet,” Achilles offered. Patroclus seemed to hesitate, but then smiled. Achilles smiled in response. Patroclus crouched down to pick up his book. Achilles crouched down, too, to grab the helmet. The footsteps stopped behind them.

“Achilles, what the fuck is taking so long-” Agamemnon began, his sentence falling off midway through. “Menoitiades? What the hell is he doing here?”

“It’s a public library, I’m allowed to be here,” Patroclus shot back. Achilles tried not to grin.

“He’s coming to practice,” Achilles announced, handing his helmet over to Patroclus, who took it easily, though his face was still red from their conversation.

“Why?” Agamemnon demanded.

“Maybe he wants to watch practice,” Odysseus commented. “Relax, Agamemnon.”

Agamemnon looked between the two of them for a moment before snorting and turning to leave. Odysseus rolled his eyes and motioned for them to follow, which they did. Achilles chanced a look at Patroclus, only to find that Patroclus was already looking back at him.

“I like you, too,” Patroclus told him softly. Achilles almost broke the handle on the front door of the library. Patroclus grinned.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Odysseus ended up renting The Princess Bride, even though he's seen it plenty of times before. Patroclus later lends him his copy of the book.
> 
> Title taken from "Agony", from 'Into The Woods'.
> 
> You can follow me on Twitter at [@nicoIodeon](https://twitter.com/nicoIodeon) or on Tumblr at [andillwriteyouatragedy](http://andillwriteyouatragedy.tumblr.com/).


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